Strategic Management of Information Technology

Jan 18, 20 & 23

Course introduction (day 1)
Slides: 

Class Discussion and ICA (day 2) – Persuasion and Communication with Decks
Slides: 

Video/Reading (day 2):
“Why some people are more innovative” by Clayton Christensen
“Persuasion and communication with decks” blog post by Munir Manvivalla

ICA (day 3): Presentations

Purchase your HBR coursepack before Day 2 (Jan 20)

Assignment 1: Personal Strategic Advantage, Part 1, Due on Canvas by 11:59 PM Jan 22

Jan 25, 27 & 30

Class discussion (day 1) – Introduction to the story: The New CIO
Slides: 

Reading (day 1):
The Adventures of an IT Leader, Introduction and Chapter 1

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):

1. If you were Jim Barton, would you accept the CIO job offered by the new CEO?
2. What does Jim Barton have to do to succeed in his new CIO position?
3. What should be Jim Barton’s top 3 priorities in the next 3 months?
4. What do you think are the big risks that Jim Barton has to watch out for during his first year? Do you
have advice to Jim on key “do’s and don’ts”?

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 1):
1. CEO
2. CIO
3. CTO

ICA (day 1) – The New CIO

Class discussion (day 2) – The four modules (our roadmap)

ICA (day 3) – Strategic Aspiration

Teams are due by 11:59 pm on Jan 27

Assignment 2: Personal Strategic Advantage, Part 2, Due on Canvas by 11:59 PM Jan 29

Feb 1, 3 & 6

Class discussion (day 1) – CIO Challenges
Slides: 

Reading (day 1):
The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 2

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):

1. How important to Barton do you think the kid’s advice is: “You need to know what you don’t know?”
2. Would you bet money on Davies’ prediction that Barton will be gone in a year? Why? Why not?
3. Do you think Barton is approaching his new job in the right way by beginning having an off-site meeting
with his direct reports? What would you do?

Class discussion (day 2) – CIO Leadership & Information

Reading (day 2):
The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 3

1. Do you agree with Ruben that IT is a “unique” or different business function?
2. Do you think that having the “sidekicks” is necessary for having the kind of meeting that Barton
wants?
3. Why do you think the previous CIO, Davies, was fired?

Class is online on Monday Feb 6
Guest Speaker (day 3) : Orlando Barone, President of Barone Associates, a Pennsylvania-based management consulting firm
Slides: 

Develop your IT Tutorial – (day 3):
– List 3 differences between a manager and a leader

Assignment 3: Knowledge Assessment, Due on Canvas by 11:59 PM Feb 5

Feb 8, 10 & 13

Class discussion (day 1) – Systems Thinking
Slides: 

Readings (day 1):
Overview-of-Systems-Thinking
Organizational architecture
Organizational structure 

Video (day 1):
Systems Thinking

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 1):
1. Hardware
2. Software

Class discussion (day 2) –  IT Strategy

Readings (day 2):
Developing your IT Strategy

Video (day 2):
Creating your IT strategy (TU LinkedIn learning)  – only the Intro and Chapter 1: Analyze the IT function  (about 15 minutes)

ICA (day 3) – Value Disciplines & Digital Transformation

CLASS CANCELLED ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 13

Class discussion (day 1) – IT Architecture
Slides: 

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 1):
1. Network
2. Internet
3. Legacy Systems
4. IT Architecture
5. Draw the circle of power (Guest Speaker Lonnie Barone slides) for Jim Barton (you can edit throughout the semester as you read the chapters).

Class discussion (day 2) – The cost of IT & The value of IT
Slides: 

Reading (day 2):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 4
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 5
The 9 Rules for Demonstrating the Business Value of IT (TU Gartner)

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 2):
1. How do IT  investments create value or enable creation?
2. What insights about IT value did you garner from Maggie’s and Ruben’s thoughts on the subject?
3. What are “legacy” systems, and what should be done about them?

ICA (day 3) – The Value of IT

Class discussion (day 1) – Project Management
Slides: 

Readings (day 1): 
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 6

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):
1. What is the nature of IT application development in respect to effective project management?
2. Compare and contrast the “traditional” vs. the “agile” approach to IT applications project management.
3. Which of these approach would you recommend to Jim Barton?

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 1):
1. Agile Product Management
2. Waterfall Methodology (traditional approach)

Readings (day 2):
– Case Study (HBR): Zara

ICA (day 2): Groups discuss Case Study and prepare their presentations

Case Study Presentations (day 3)

Zara Case Study due on canvas by 11:59 PM on Feb 26

Class discussion (day 1) – The runaway project & Cybersecurity/Business Continuity
Slides: 

Readings (day 1):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 7

1. What are the root causes leading to the Infrastructure Replacement (IR) initiative?
2. Putting yourself in Jim Barton’s shoes, what action would you take on the IR initiative?

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 1):
1. IT Infrastructure
2. Cybersecurity
3. Business Continuity

Guest speaker (day 2): Jarred Bernstein, CRISC, CISSP, CISA │ Enterprise Risk & Compliance, USAA
Slides: 

SPRING BREAK: March 6-12

Week 8 slides: 

Discuss Mid Term (day 1) – take home (due on March 19)

Class discussion (day 1): IT Priorities & IT and the Board of Directors
ICA (day 1): Groups discuss Case Study and prepare their presentations

Readings (day 1):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 8
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 9
– Information Technology and the Board of Directors (HBR Article from course pack)
– Case Study (HBR): Volkswagen

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):
Chapter 8
1. Why do you think the previous CIO, Davies, created slush fund slack for budgeting IT projects?
Under Davies, whose neck is in the noose if a project goes bad?
2. Do you think Barton’s approach of providing the best information at the time is a better approach than
Davies’ approach? Under Barton, whose neck will be in the noose if a project goes bad?
3. Refer to page 3 of the article “ IT and the Board of Directors”: Where does IVK fall on this graph?

Prepare your answers to the following question (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):
Chapter 9
1. Would you recommend that IVK form a board level IT committee? Why? Why not?

Volkswagen Case Study presentations (day 2)

NO CLASS ON FRIDAY MARCH 17: Student work on Mid Term

Volkswagen Case Study due on canvas by 11:59 PM on March 14

Mid Term due on canvas by 11:59 PM on March 19

March 20, 22 & 24

Week 9 slides:

Class discussion (day 1): Crisis

Readings (day 1):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 10

Prepare your answers to the following questions (day 1):

1.As Jim Barton, what would be your impressions and experiences in the first few minutes after receiving the first call from Ruben? How does it feel when things start to suddenly fall apart? How can your reactions to a crisis get you into more trouble? What can you do to help avoid such trouble?
2.What is your assessment of how IVK handled this crisis during the event itself? Did they do a good job of crisis management?
3.What principles or recommendations might we follow during a crisis like this one to avoid some of the problems inherent in such situations?
4.How would you recommend that Barton handle the analyst meeting? If you were on the team coming up with the strategy for the meeting, what guidelines would you suggest to Barton?
5.What should be Jim Barton’s and IVK Corporation’s priorities at this stage?

ICA (day 1) – Crisis

Class discussion (day 2): Damage

Readings (day 2):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 11

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 2):

1.How well did Jim Barton prepare and present his recommendation to the CEO on the response to the DoS attack?
2.Which option for securing IVK in the aftermath of the attack would you choose? Would you recommend shutting the company down? If so, when?
3.Do you agree with the CEO’s decision about what to disclose regarding this possible hacker attack?
4.What are Jim Barton’s and IVK Corp’s priorities after the CEO has made his decision?
5.How has Barton’s career situation changed in the aftermath of this event? Why didn’t Williams fire Barton? What would be your advice to him at this point?

ICA (day 2) – Damage

Class discussion (day 3): IT Doesn’t matter?!

Readings (day 3):
– IT Doesn’t matter (HBR article – from course pack)

ICA (day 3): In your group discuss & prepare the following:
Critically evaluate Carr’s arguments that IT is “commodity-like” and his associated recommendations for managing IT

Class discussion (day 1): Communication
Slides: 

Readings (day 1):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 12

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):
1. How would you recommend that Barton “manages his boss”?
2. How should Barton communicate with people outside the IT department to rebuild his organization’s credibility?
3. In an environment of internet access and real-time information, how effective is the “Doctrine of Completed Staff Work”? Do you recommend Barton using this approach?
4. Do you agree with Maggie’s assessment (“Yes, you are totally screwed.”) of Barton’s current situation?

Class discussion (day 2): Emerging Technology

Readings (day 2):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 13

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 2):
1. . What are your responses to Bernie Ruben’s three questions in taking action on the blog issue at IVK:
a. What, if anything, should we do about this blog entry?
b. What should be our general policy about blogging based on inside information from within the company?
c. What should be our process for spotting emerging technologies and analyzing them to see how they might be relevant to us, for better or worse?
2. Do you think that your generation carries out work differently from previous generations? ? If yes, what kinds of challenges or opportunities might arise from this difference?
3. Do you think that an IT department should devote time & effort to scanning and analyzing emerging technologies?

CLASS CANCELLED ON FRIDAY MARCH 31

April 3, 5 & 7

Class discussion (day 1): Vendor partnering / Outsourcing
Slides: 

Readings (day 1):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 14

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 3):

1.Should acquisition of infrastructure replacement (IR) services be an arm’s length transaction or a close partnership transaction?
2.Which vendor should IVK choose for the IR project?
3.What questions should they ask a vendor to answer prior to contracting with them?
4.How much technical expertise does a company like IVK need to keep in house if it plans to outsource much of its IT work?

Class discussion (day 2): Managing Talent & IT Governance
Slides: 

Readings (day 2):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 15
– IT Governance article

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):

1.What should Carter and Barton do about the Ivan Korsky situation?
2.Should IVK have a management system for identifying their top talent? If so, how might such a system work? How would it interact with training and skills development?
3.What might Barton be able to learn from the way jazz ensembles work about how to manage top notch IT talent?

ICA (day 3): Groups discuss Case Study and prepare their presentations

Readings (day 3):
– Case Study (HBR): Vermont Teddy Bear

Assignment 4: Vendor Selection, Due on Canvas by 11:59 PM April 7

Vermont Teddy Bear Case Study due on canvas by 11:59 PM on  April 9

Case Study Presentations (day 1)

Class discussion (day 2): Standardization & Innovation
Slides: 

Readings (day 2):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 16 & 17

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):
1. Which approach should IVK take to infrastructure standardization? 
2. Is there a trade-off between standardization and flexibility? 
3. What should Barton do about Sales’ request to replace computers with mobile devices?
4. What role should IT leaders play in discussions of the use of IT to enhance innovative capabilities?

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 2):
1. Artificial Intelligence: definition, 3 levels, examples of application
2. Internet Of Things (IoT): definition, examples of application
3. Data Analytics
4. Sentiment Analysis

ICA (day 3): Sentiment Analysis

Class discussion (day 1): Managing Risk
Slides: 

Readings (day 1):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 18
–  https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/past-issues/2010/use-of-the-balanced-scorecard-for-it-risk-management

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):
1. What do you think of CEO Williams’s explanation of his actions in the aftermath of the crisis described in Chapter 10?
2. How should a company like IVK approach its cost and risk tradeoffs?
3. Would Barton make a good next CEO for IVK? In what ways might he differ from past leadership?

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 1):
1. IT Risk Management
2. What is the difference between “known risks” and “unknown risks”?
3. What is “Qualitative Risk Analysis”?
4. What is “Quantitative Risk Analysis”?

ICA (day 2) – IT Risk Management

Guest speaker (day 3): Tom Dickson, Director Of Information Technology at US Healthconnect, Inc.
Slides: 

April 24, 26 & 28

Class discussion (day 1): Looking forward / predicting the future
Slides: 

Readings (day 1):
– The Adventures of an IT Leader, Chapter 19
– Predictions article from the Atlantic

Prepare your answers to the following questions (student will be selected at random to share their answers) (day 1):
1. What job opportunity would you advise Jim Barton to take? Why?

Discuss Final Exam (day 1) – take home (due on May 1)

Develop your IT Tutorial (web research) – (day 2):
1. List the 10 most important key principles for effective management of IT. For each principle, provide an example discussed in class.

ICA (day 2) – Reflection

NO CLASS ON APRIL 28: Students complete & submit their IT tutorial

Assignment 5: IT Tutorial, Due on Canvas by 11:59 PM April 28

May 1

NO CLASS ON MONDAY MAY 1: Students work on Final exam

Final Exam due on canvas by 11:59 PM on May 1

Complete SFF by EOD May 2